What I made for Thanksgiving 2023

My family, like many, does not do a your normal thanksgiving meal and we generally do not make the same things every year. This year, we decided to revisit the "traditional" thanksgiving meal after doing several years of non-traditional, and this is what we (I) made:

Smoked turkey

I am incredibly biased, but this was one of the best turkeys I have ever had, and I attribute that to three things: brining, spatchcocking, and smoking. We brined this one for 24 hours using Traeger's Turkey Brine after defrosting for a couple days. On Thanksgiving Day, I spatchcocked the turkey (removed the spine and pushed the bones to lay flat), covered it with Big Game Rub and butter, and smoked the turkey on our Traeger. Spatchcocking helps the turkey cook evenly, preventing it from drying out. The skin was golden and crispy, while the meat was juicy and tender.

Green Bean Casserole

This is my all-time favorite holiday side, but there are no canned green beans or canned mushroom soup at my house. I love Binging with Babish's Thanksgiving Recipes as a reference or refresher. I boiled my green beans and put them aside. I like mine on the squishier side, but you do you. Then I started on my soup. Saute a ton of chopped mushrooms in a bunch of butter and chopped garlic. I'd say about a package or two of shrooms, usually portabello, but white or both will do. Cook those down until the moisture cooks out, add flour (when making a soup or sauce, you want equal parts butter to flour; I'd say anywhere from 2–3 tablespoons), cook that to a golden color, and add veggie or beef broth and milk or heavy cream. Season throughout, combine with the green beans, and top with crispy onions. You can also fry your own onions; they are delicious, but they are time-consuming, so I skipped those this year.

Dressing

This year, I made a beautiful garlic dressing/stuffing. This thing smelled heavenly coming out of the oven. I started with garlic leaves from my local Publix, made little crouton squares, and roasted them in an oven with olive oil until golden brown and dry. While that was roasting, I sauteed diced onions, celery, and garlic in butter, cooking until soft and translucent. I removed it from the heat and added cold vegetable broth, one whole egg, and chopped sage and rosemary. I then added in the roasted croutons and mixed well. I prepped my dressing in advance, so I covered it and let it sit in the fridge overnight to soak up all the broth. I reheated it in the oven when ready to eat, first with the lid on and then uncovered to brown the top slightly. The garlic loaves made this dish.

Mashed Potatoes

Boil golden potatoes, mash them up with a mixer, and add butter, salt, and heavy cream. Boom, delicious. Word to the wise, though: don't get cocky and just add a ton of liquid. Add it in a bit at a time; otherwise, you will make sad potato soup.

Sweet Potatoes

Full disclosure: I am not a mushy sweet potato with marshmallow girly. If you are, I love that for you, but no matter how many times I try it or who makes it, it's not my thing, and that's okay. This year I attempted another Babish-inspired recipe for his Sweet Potatoes with Ricotta and Whiskey Craisins.

They are stunning; however, I will admit, these were at the bottom of my to-do list; they did not get all the attention they deserved. I did zero measuring and just threw everything together. In theory, it's awesome. If you like the OG Sweet Potato Casserole but want a slightly less traditional take, this is the one for you. I, however, fully accepted that the only way I like my sweet potatoes is roasted and savory, and that's alright. Maybe next Thanksgiving I'll just let myself have sweet potato fries.

Hilly's Pumpkin Caramel Pie from Milk Bar.

If you like pumpkin and sweet, luxurious treats, make this! Objectively, it's delicious. You have a white chocolate pumpkin ganache, salted caramel, and a delicious crisp on top. It's amazing. However, it is a labor of love, let me tell you. There was not a single time when I was making this pie that I felt confident it would turn out well. Nevertheless, I survived, and the pie made it to the table. I learned a lot from it, but I think next year I'll go with something a tad simpler. Thanks for the memories, though, Milk Bar.

Thank you for reading. What are your favorite holiday meals? Would you make any of these?